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Paddlesports
As we are ideally located next to the Gare Loch we often run our Canoeing and Kayaking sessions on-site in front of the centre. This is ideal for a half-day session during a multi-activity adventure week and means that you can maximise your time playing about in boats. With more time available and on longer courses we will make full use of the amazing lochs, rivers and sea to be found in the National Park and beyond. Scotland really is a paddler’s paradise!
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Sailing
We are very lucky at Blairvadach to have an amazing selection of dinghies and multihull sailing boats available to use. We will sail right in front of the centre where we have excellent facilities, a purpose built slipway, a floating teaching platform, and a wet classroom if needed for theory sessions. As your experience grows we can venture further out onto the water to experience the sheer exhilaration of being powered by the wind. We run RYA courses and taster sessions suitable for complete beginners or experienced sailors alike.
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Cycling
With a well maintained fleet of good quality bikes and a custom built bikes challenge course Blairvadach is an ideal place to improve your bike handling skills. Under the watchful eye of a talented instructor you will improve your level of balance and agility on a bike. We may also make use of local forest trails or venture further afield to a purpose built trail centre to allow progression and development of your riding skills. If you have yet to learn how to ride a bike this could be your perfect opportunity.
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Climbing
The famous Blairvadach Totem Pole and Tree Climb, are always favourites with visitors to the centre and our modern indoor climbing wall allows us to learn the skills of climbing whatever the Scottish weather brings us. When we can we always like to get out to our local crag for rock climbing and abseiling and on our development courses we will go to some of Scotland’s best single pitch crags for an authentic climbing experience.
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Ropes Course
Another famous Blairvadach activity, our purpose built low ropes course challenges individual abilities, develops team skills and most of all, is great fun! This activity is particularly useful for groups wanting to work on their teamwork, communication and social skills.
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Gorge Walking
Explore the burns, wade the pools and climb the waterfalls whilst working together and having fun in a unique environment! From an accessible burn bash to committing gorges requiring wetsuits, swimming and jumping into pools we make use of a variety of scenic and awe inspiring venues to provide fantastic challenge and adventure.
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Scrambling
Bravely explore the Succoth Boulders, the historical hiding place of the folk hero Rob Roy and maybe even King Robert the Bruce himself! Scramble over, under and between the rocks, through the gaps and the dark bits. One of our most challenging and fun activities!
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Orienteering
A series of challenging and rewarding map reading courses based in the centre grounds where you can start with the basics and progress on to a score course and a timed competition. Blairvadach is lucky enough to own its own Sportident equipment for you to use, the same as is used at the elite level of this exciting sport.
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Hillwalking and Exploring
We are blessed at Blairvadach to be located amongst some of the finest scenery in the country. We offer a range of walking and exploring sessions from wet welly-walks in the woods to hill walks up the highest peaks in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. There is so much to learn about the history, geology, the flora and fauna of this area and we will take every opportunity to do so. As with all of our activities the degree of challenge of the walk will be pitched to match the needs of your group.
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Pond Study
Think the water's just dull and empty? Think again! Explore the world of the mini-beast, find and identify alien looking life forms and learn about their environment and eco-system. Study them under a microscope to discover how they move and survive.
We can also use Biological Indicator Species to teach us about pollution.
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Powerboating
We use our 6 metre Humber RIB to deliver the Seascape Discovery module. This exciting educational experience is prooving to be hugely popular with Primary school groups, allowing us to explore the history, geology and wildlife of the Gareloch. We are also able to deliver RYA certified powerboat courses in our variety of suitable craft.
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Seashore Explore
When the tide is out and the beach is exposed there is an incredible variety of sea life to be found on the foreshore at Blairvadach.
This interactive session will get you hands on with crabs, fish, starfish and other amazing things! If you want to, we can even take them back to the lab and use the microscopes to study and learn more about them.